Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Nicole Richie signed copies of her new book in New York yesterday wearing a wide-brimmed derby hat and an oversize velvet jacket. She's pretty bundled up, from her big skull-print scarf right down to her studded booties, except for a big gaping hole in the knee of her jeans. What do we think?? Hit or miss?

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Just this last week, a new line has been added to the higher end collection of clothes that make up Savvy at Nordstrom. The masterminds behind hit label Juicy Couture, Pam Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor introduced this sister line 'Bird' for fall 09. Trying to stray away from their usual track suits, which are inevitably dying out, Juicy Couture has taken a new turn on fashion. Introducing a high end line of clothing, BIRD is chic, edgy, and definitely not for your matching track suit girl. Bird consists of sophisticated, fitted pieces inspired by timeless vintage silhouettes including streamlined outerwear, rich cashmere, understated tops and leather pieces. Casual luxury for girls with a cutting edge sense of style. I shop Savvy quite frequently, and will love to see how this line sells amongst stronger lower price pointed lines. Here are a few pieces:

Olivia Dress -$598[juicycouture.com]

A deceptively simple dress that packs a wallop of glamour. Made of luxurious Florentine brocade, its nipped waist and dramatic large bow at the right shoulder will get you the notice that you deserve..

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

I love when a designer branches out and tries out new areas in the fashion world. For example Tory Burch, is venturing out with a premium denim collection! A great pair of jeans is a wardrobe staple. Whether you favor an ultra skinny silhouette, a classic boot cut, cool tomboy look or a sophisticated wide-leg, Tory Burch's denim collection covers it all. You can see her Collection HERE

Tomboy Metallic Brush Jean $225

Super Skinny Saturated Jean $185

Its a pretty good price point in my opinion, and there are a few fun and wacky pieces to make your wardrobe interesting. The styles she has to offer i think fit the market, and i'm excited to try on a pair!

Monday, August 9, 2010

As you all know, it's hard to pass up the deal of the week at your favorite fashion store, or the gift with purchase, especially if it's the necklace you've been eying for a week or so. It's going to be another shirt in your closet, and another necklace to get tangled up in the already-too-full jewelry holder you have. Fast fashion is everywhere, but i think people are losing sight of quality, let alone what it takes to get that product to you. Many third world countries are producing our aldo shoes, and h&m tops at a rate that any average American couldn't even fathom. Extremely long hours, little bathroom breaks, and definitely no snack time. Personally when i go shopping, that's what i think when i see a nicely constructed acrylic sweater for $24.90. Our fast fashion frenzy is overwhelming and quite honestly disgusting when you put two and two together. Along with the extended work hours, we are also dumping two million tons of textile waste into landfills each year. ouch. Just a quick bit of insight for those of you who are shopping at fast fashion retailers on a regular basis. Maybe paying a higher price for a garment that you're going to wear longer and appreciate more is the way to go. But hey, you buy what you want, and I'll stick to clothing made with love. :)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

I would like to apologize for not writing in my blog for so long.. I have been transitioning from Vancouver, BC to Bellevue, WA. As well as starting a new job that keeps be occupied at least 50 hours a week. With that said, Yay, new blog post!

So to kick off my back-to-blogging...

Big Butts are IN! According to the Daily News, "Big bums are shaping up to be the summer of 2010's hottest trend." While many of the fall 2010 looks accentuated breasts, the spring 2010 looks started showing an increase in panties instead of legit bottoms. The Daily News says big butts are in because the likes of Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, and Beyonce have them. And everyone knows how much like them you want to be. ha. So if you are less blessed in the rear end, the ladies at SheFinds have found some panties to help you plump up your behind. If you're not into the "Ass-bra", you can try out a $30 pair of padded by underwear by Pure Style Girlfriends out for size.. ( no pun intended.. oh wait.. yeah pun intended) Happy plumping!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I love this post, only because who hasn't done this before? Aretha Franklin wore this dress to the Tony Awards on Sunday, and then at the Apollo Theater Awards Monday night! She accessorized with the same necklace, bag, boa, and shoes. It really makes me smile. I mean how many times do you go out two nights in a row with different people? It's the perfect solution. I have days like that trust me.. When i love my outfit and want to show it off :) It happens. Here are a few more double takes.. Have you ever done this?

Monday, June 14, 2010

I was going to wait until i had more photos, but i wanted to write about something to do with my personal life. So, here it goes. For the last few months, my life has been completely consumed with a fashion show. As our final project, my 18 classmates and i worked together, (some more than most) to put this production into action. Our theme was Gothic Romantic with a Tim Burton feel to it. We used a lot of purples and blacks, bringing out a darker side to the show. As head of fund raising and sponsorships, I was in charge for most of the money that was brought in. Which is a really hard task.. I can't even begin to tell you the amount of people who shut doors on me and told me they weren't hiring and to leave them alone. It's quite funny to me. I know it has nothing to do with me, but everything to do with people not wanting to help out. There are so many charities these days, and i can completely understand that there is a little bit of donation exhaustion going on.

OH. By the way, the show was all for charity. We supported the local Covenant House, which in case you don't know, is an organization to help kids get off the street and battle addictions and homelessness. It's quite a touching charity, and i am so glad that we got to raise money for them.

So the show happened last Thursday night at an antique hall on Main Street, Vancouver. It was a huge success. Within the first half hour we had all of our gift cards (that i acquired) sold, and raffle tickets flying out of our seller's hands. It was such a great feeling to see so many people passionate about helping. ( or just getting cheap drinks, and paying $10 for gift cards that were at least $25, haha)

Anyways, here are a few photos of the show. I will post more later when i have them all. Cheers everyone. Hope everyone is having a great Monday!!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

As the Eco friendly march goes on, we are seeing more and more companies trying on smaller carbon shoes, and leaving smaller footprints. (clever, huh) Personally i find the biggest waste companies have is packaging. There are two companies i want to recognize for reducing the costs, and waste they're putting out.

First of all, Puma for the Clever Little Bag.

It is a reusable shoe bag, intended to be used for pictures, keepsakes, and of course, for shoes. The German company claims it will massively reduce its carbon 'paw print' , saving 8,500 tonnes of paper, which is the weight of 1,400 elephants every year. It's great advertising for Puma. Just think about it.. You buy a pair of shoes and get this spiffy bag. Then you want to show it off, so you use it for your lunch, gym stuff, and carry it everywhere you go. BOOM! Now everyone is eying your bag and want one too. And how do they get one? Gotta buy the shoes! I like the idea personally, but it seems like a knock off of the Aldo bag which i will talk about next.

Aldo: Shoe box with built in handle

So here we have shoe boxes with the handle built in. Pretty simple concept, but think about all the plastic and/or paper you would save by cutting out bags and tissue. In 2008 the company launched its Next Step program aimed at going green and becoming more environmentally friendly. Way to go Aldo. Maybe it somehow makes up for your mass production of very cheap shoes that are extremely overpriced for what they are. But hey, they look cute. And i have to say, i bought a pair of shoes there once, and i was super excited about the built in handle.. i thought it was genius. Ha.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

American Apparel is the top clothing manufacturer in the United States. It is a vertically integrated clothing manufacturer and wholesaler, and retailer that preforms its own design, marketing and even its own advertising. Starting off as a socially responsible basics retailer, it has branched into pants, skirts, leggings, and even men's and children's clothing.

Although A.A seems to be such an amazing company from the outside, there is unending controversy coming from within. From sexual harassment, to illegal hiring practices, to weight discrimination, they are constantly making headlines. It's just one thing after another. An unnamed source has leaked a transcript from a May 18 conference call during which retail managers were instructed to submit “full-body head-to-toe” photographs of job applicants for approval. “Your looks determine your position and pay rate, not how effective you are at your job,” the source told Gawker. To add to that, staff recruiters are supposed to send the photos from their personal e-mail, not the store account. The company reiterated that they screen purely for personal style, not physical beauty; applicants may be turned away if their looks fit into the fuzzy category of “off-brand.” Ridiculous much?Maybe so they all can look like this:

Also to add flame to the fire, there have been 3 sexual harassment cases against the owner of the company owner Dov Charney. As i don't believe rumors, i could care less about those statements unless there is proof, but Charney never denied masturbating in front of a reporter AND engaged in oral sex with a female employee. He responds to accusations with: "I've never done anything sexual that wasn't consensual," Charney says.

Interesting eh? That's the kind of person i want to think about when i wear my overpriced A.A Cotton Skirt. Here are a few more ads, just for kicks. Is he a genius? Or thinking with his.. well you know.

Monday, June 7, 2010

As i was waiting for my Indian takeout on lunch break, i was exploring around the little area of Gastown within a you know, 2 minute radius.. i wanted to look, but also wanted to make sure i was back in exactly 10 minutes for my food :). At first i went into a Western store, looking at Cowboy boots, not too exciting. Then a little boutique in the middle of two bigger well known stores caught my eye. I had never seen this store before. In that part of gastown, there are cobblestone roads, and lots of people walking around, but it's a local place.. not many tourists venture down that far. In nice silver letters i read the store name: LynnStephen.

Being my curious self, I walked in to take a look around, and was pleasantly surprised! The owner of the store was working by herself (given the store was as big as my 700 sq foot apartment)but made time to come over to be a greet me personally.I chatted with the owner for a bit and got to know a little more about the store. They had just opened up 5 months ago, which explains why i haven't seen it yet, and are very involved with the community, donating $50 towards my fashion show on the spot(!!) I had a look around, and there were some pretty amazing clothes inside. The clothing was minimal on rolling racks, but it looked classy and expensive. They carry great brands, such as Paige,DL1961, Gemma, Monrow, Lauren Moshi, Pade Vavra, and Gorjana, just to name a few.

The best part about the store, in my opinion, was their changing room/bathroom. The entire wall surrounding is made out of books! I took some picture, excuse the quality, they're from my camera phone, but i just had to write about it!

This is a view from the front door

This is a view from the back of the store. Owner of the store, and friend Darryl pictured as well

This is the inside of the wall! See any books you like?

See what a little wandering can lead to? I want to go back and shop! Oh that's right, i'm going tomorrow :)

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Lindsay LohanI know she will most likely get bashed for wearing this, but i am absolutely in love with her Jumper. I haven't seen anyone who can pull it off better. I think it was the perfect material, and perfect for her.. Maybe a little less length and less boob action.. but still. LOVE IT.

Jessica BielI like the polka dots and the feathery skirt.. but for some reason the outfit isn't doing it for me...

Russell Brand

Yeah, you would.

Katy PerryGoing across the color wheel from Lady Gaga's yellow hair, Katy comes to the red carpet with a royal blue do.... interesting.. very gaga-esque

Mike Sorrentino

You're a "Situation" alright...

Christina Aguilera

Is her dress made out of Trash bags? It kind of looks like the metal Panier i had to weld for design for my 15th century gown..At least she's in amazing shape. Props to you.

As my school year gets closer to the end, we have been out in the field more doing real work. This last week i was with a team of people and were asked to merchandise 8 mannequins for the brand Free People at the Bay. The brand is a little funky and for the miss-matchy fashion forward woman. I did two outfits, first was the outfit above. It consists of a cute floral dress with a neutral pink on the top with a waist band connecting. and a cute white lace lapel blazer over the top with a nice texture on it. It's nice to pair the simplicity of the jacket with the print on the skirt, and add the low key necklace just for added look.

The second outfit is:

It is another springy/summer time dress, i love dresses when its hot out! This outfit consists of a pink sequined dress with spaghetti straps ( hidden by the jacket) and a army green blazer over the top. The blazer shows a little attitude with the sleeves rolled up and contrasts nicely with the pink and creme. The army inspired jacket is also opposite from the cute and fun dress which goes to show that you can match these items and still look great. I paired the outfit with a chunky statement necklace to add a bit more attitude to the mannequin.

Through doing this, i have found a brand that i am now in love with. Free people is a higher price point, but its also great quality and fashion forward. Can't wait to go back and shop :)

Mannequins are so easy.. they always look so great in everything! Especially dressing headless mannequins, it's so easy to see yourself in the outfits!It was fun getting to style my own pieces and i've found that i really enjoy it.. Styling in the future perhaps? We'll see.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Thursday, June 3, 2010

As i was skimming over my emails today, which lately have been way too many to read at once, I saw an email from Urban Outfitters. Wanting to see the latest news i checked it out, and found out that they launched a beauty campaign! There are lines of makeup, skin care, nail polish, and scents that are all new to UO. I am definitely surprised that they launched so many different products, being that there are over 50 brands and 1,000 colors that they're offering. That's a lot to take on.. But can't wait to see what they have! Take a look

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

I love Carrie's dress this week. I love the strap detail and the short bubble skirt. Not a huge fan of Metallic, but i think she's rocking it!

Talk about legs for miles! The deep slit in her dress looks absolutely stunning as well as her nice up-do. The belt is a nice touch, and i LOVE her style. Going to feature her style in another post.

Eva Eva Eva.. Is there ever a time that she doesn't look amazing? I'm a huge fan of her style. I love the color of her dress as well as the patchy gold detail. Gorgeous!

I love the color on this dress.. but the shape isn't doing it for me.. I would have like to seen her in a more slimming dress.. Maybe next time Gwyneth

Sarah Jessica Parker... Hm. To tell you the truth, i have never seen Sex in the City.. and i think its time shes gets a new stylist.. I'm not a fan of the see-thru look no matter how great of shape you are in. Isn't she supposed to be a fashion icon? ha-ha

A jumper Marrion? I actually love the jumper trend.. but i have yet to see one that i really fell in love with. Rompers are great and easy.. but its something about the tightness ( or not tight enough-ness) that throws me off. I would love to see someone rock a jumper.. Come on now!